How to Choose the Best Dinnerware for Entertaining Guests

When you’re hosting a dinner party, the food may be the star, but the table sets the stage.

The right dinnerware can turn an ordinary meal into an experience. It adds color, texture, personality, and a sense of occasion before the first dish is even served. And when your tableware is handmade, every plate and bowl brings its own character to the gathering.

Whether you’re hosting an intimate dinner, a lively gathering with friends, or a special holiday celebration, here’s how to choose dinnerware that makes entertaining feel effortless and beautiful.

1. Start With Your Entertaining Style

Before choosing a dinnerware set, think about the kind of gatherings you love to host.

Are your dinners relaxed and informal, with friends helping themselves to shared dishes? Do you prefer elegant dinner parties with carefully arranged place settings? Or perhaps your style changes depending on the occasion.

At Los Artisans, you’ll find the most beautiful and thoughtfully curated sets, designed to elevate your events and create unforgettable moments for your guests.

For a sophisticated table with dramatic contrast, Dark Fusion is an excellent choice. Its deep tones, blue accents, and shimmering metallic details create a striking tablescape that immediately catches the eye.

If you prefer something softer and more neutral, Pearl Oyster brings a refined, pearly palette that works beautifully for both everyday dining and special occasions.

For a table inspired by the colors of the coast, Coastal Skies combines turquoise, teal, deep blue, off-white, and gold accents for a more vibrant look. 

2. Choose Dinnerware That Makes the Food Look Beautiful

Great dinnerware should complement your cooking—not compete with it.

When selecting plates, consider the colors and types of food you typically serve. Neutral or softly colored dinnerware gives colorful dishes room to shine, while darker or more artistic plates can create a dramatic backdrop for simple foods.

For example, the warm neutral tones of Abstract Blonde can create an elegant foundation for colorful salads, roasted vegetables, pasta, and beautifully plated main courses. Its hand-glazed ceramic design combines multi-tone glazing with metallic luster highlights. 

On the other hand, a richly colored collection such as The Peacock can become part of the visual centerpiece of the table itself.

Think of your dinnerware as part of the presentation—not simply something underneath the food.

3. Make Sure You Have More Than Just Dinner Plates

A beautiful entertaining table needs layers.

Dinner plates are the foundation, but salad plates and bowls give you flexibility when serving a multi-course meal. Serving bowls and platters are equally important when you're putting food in the center of the table for guests to share.

Many Los Artisans dinner sets include dinner plates, salad plates, and dinner/soup bowls, giving you a coordinated foundation for a complete place setting. Several collections are also available in different quantities, including 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 place settings. 

For larger gatherings, add serving pieces that coordinate with your dinnerware. A generously sized artisan serving bowl or platter can turn a simple family-style meal into an inviting centerpiece.

Los Artisans serving collection includes handmade pieces designed specifically for serving salads, sides, appetizers, and shared dishes.

4. Think About the Number of Guests You Usually Host

One of the easiest mistakes when buying dinnerware is purchasing only enough for your immediate needs.

If you regularly host six people, it may make sense to choose an eight- or twelve-place setting. Having a few extra pieces means you won't have to worry about an unexpected guest, or replacing a piece that gets damaged.

Los Artisans makes this particularly easy because many dinnerware collections can be purchased in different place-setting quantities. 

And if you already own a favorite set, you don't necessarily need to replace everything. Adding individual dinner plates, bowls, or serving pieces can gradually expand your collection.

5. Look for Beauty and Practicality

Dinnerware for entertaining should be beautiful enough for a special occasion but practical enough to actually use.

When choosing your pieces, consider details such as:

1. Is the dinnerware food-safe?
2. Is it suitable for your preferred style of entertaining?
3. Can it be used regularly as well as for special occasions?
4. Is it dishwasher- or microwave-safe where appropriate?
5. Are additional pieces available if you want to expand your collection?

The best dinnerware is the dinnerware you feel comfortable using—not the dinnerware you are afraid to take out of the cupboard.

6. Create a Cohesive Table Without Making Everything Match

A perfectly matching table can be beautiful, but it isn't your only option.

For a more collected and personal look, start with one dominant dinnerware collection and introduce complementary pieces in similar colors or textures.

Try pairing:

Deep blue + gold + neutral linen
A dramatic combination that works beautifully with Dark Fusion or Peacock pieces.

Cream + beige + soft natural tones
A relaxed, sophisticated palette inspired by Pearl Oyster and Abstract Blonde.

Turquoise + teal + white
A fresh, coastal-inspired combination that brings energy to the table with Coastal Skies.

You can also use serving platters, bowls, mugs, and cups to introduce another layer of color without changing the entire place setting.

The result should feel coordinated—but not overly designed.

7. Build the Table Around the Occasion

Different occasions call for different moods.

For an intimate dinner

Keep things simple. Choose beautiful dinner plates, bowls, understated glassware, linen napkins, and a small centerpiece.

Pearl Oyster or Abstract Blonde can create an elegant and intimate atmosphere without overwhelming the table.

For a dinner party with friends

This is your opportunity to be more expressive.

Choose a statement collection such as Dark Fusion or The Peacock, then keep the rest of the table relatively simple. Let the dinnerware become part of the conversation.

For a holiday or celebration

Don't be afraid of color and shine.

Metallic accents, rich blues, greens, and layered serving pieces can make a festive table feel special without requiring elaborate decorations.

And because the dinnerware itself becomes part of the décor, you may need fewer additional accessories.

8. Remember That Entertaining Is About More Than a Perfect Table

The most beautiful dinner table isn't necessarily the most formal one. It's the table where people linger.

It's where guests reach across one another for another serving of food. Where conversations continue long after dessert. Where someone asks, "Where did you get these plates?"

That's the beauty of choosing artisan dinnerware.

Handmade pieces bring warmth and personality to the table. Small variations remind us that they were created by human hands. And beautiful design can make even an ordinary Tuesday dinner feel worth celebrating.

Find Your Signature Dinnerware

There is no single "best" dinnerware for entertaining. The right choice depends on your home, your cooking, your guests, and the atmosphere you want to create.

But if you're looking for dinnerware that combines artistic design, handmade craftsmanship, and everyday functionality, artisan ceramics offer something that mass-produced tableware simply can't replicate.

Explore the Los Artisans dinnerware collection and find the colors, textures, and designs that speak to your entertaining style—from the dramatic character of Dark Fusion to the serene elegance of Pearl Oyster, the vibrant Coastal Skies palette, and the artistic beauty of The Peacock.